2007 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Breast Cancer Alliance Breast Surgery Fellow: Dr. Alice Chung

Dr. Alice Chung

Dr. Alice Chung has had an interest in women’s health for as long as she can remember. “I have been interested in breast surgery since medical school and two years of breast cancer research only strengthened my interest,” she says.

She started work as a Breast Cancer Alliance-funded breast surgeon on July 1 of this year at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Her daily routine is already quite busy. She sees hospital patients during rounds early in the day, then heads to the operating room or clinic. She also finds time to attend educational conferences. “I see routine as well as really difficult cases. I am learning something every day and I love being in an environment where everyone strives for excellence,” comments Dr. Chung.

With her grant, Dr. Chung hopes to learn as much as possible from the clinical aspect as well as in research. Another goal is to use this year to improve her research design and writing skills. Her ultimate goal: “to become the director of a breast center. I would like to stay involved in research and hope to create protocols at my own institution one day.” We at the Alliance hope her experience this year will help her achieve that goal.

Dr. Alice Chung received a B.S in Biology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and then attended the University of Chicago Medical School. She spent seven years in general surgical training in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, including two years doing breast cancer research.

2007 Debbie Taylor Memorial Breast Surgery Fellowship at Beth Israel Medical Center/St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, Continuum Cancer Centers of New York: Dr. Allyson Jacobson

Dr. Allyson Jacobson

In 2005, the Breast Cancer Alliance funded a breast surgery fellowship in honor of our long-time board member and supporter Debbie Taylor. This year’s recipient is Dr. Allyson Jacobson, of Beth Israel Medical Center/St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, Continuum Cancer Centers of New York. “We are pleased to honor our friend Debbie by continuing this important work in her name,” say Brooke Dabrowski and Cathy Sutton, Grants Committee co-chairs.

Allyson Jacobson’s day begins like that of most surgeons. She sees breast cancer patients in the clinic – both newly diagnosed women and those who are veterans of treatment. She works with oncologists, pathologists and other physicians to coordinate the multiple levels of care that her patients need. Some days are purely clinical; other days she spends in the operating room. All this and she still has some time for research, too.

In her three weeks on the job, she is already struck by one observation. “Unfortunately, we tend to see younger patients with more aggressive disease, which is quite troubling,” she notes. It certainly provides the motivation to work hard on developing new treatments.

Fortunately on that score, the hospital offers some newly-developed surgical techniques like ductoscopy, in which excisions of specific affected milk ducts can be performed, and oncoplastic techniques which offer cosmetically pleasing results to patients. Dr. Jacobson finds such state-of-the-art surgery exciting. “I have had only scattered experience with breast surgery during my five years of general surgery training,” she says. “I now want to focus on learning new techniques and becoming better at treating this disease.”

Both of Allyson Jacobson’s grandmothers had breast cancer. She remembers the disfigured chest, and the complete lack of support and discussion. “No one talked about it,” she recalls. A lot has changed in the past few decades – enough so that during the last year of her residency, Dr. Jacobson realized she wanted to focus on this disease. “During my residency, I found that I really liked treating breast cancer patients. It’s more gratifying work than some of the other surgery subspecialties – it’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to contribute to improving a breast cancer patient’s life.”

Dr. Allyson Jacobson moved to New York this summer from Chicago, where she went to medical school and completed her general surgery residency.

2007 Norma Lies Mitchell Breast Surgery Fellow: Dr. Carla Christy

Dr. Carla Christy

This year, to honor our new sponsors, Richards of Greenwich/Mitchells of Westport, the Breast Cancer Alliance has funded a breast surgery fellowship at Yale Cancer Center. The fellowship is named in memory of Jack Mitchell’s mother, Norma Lies Mitchell, who died of breast cancer, and the recipient is Dr. Carla Christy.

Carla Christy could have been a dancer – it was her passion while she was growing up. Luckily for the medical world, a second passion – biology – eventually won out. That led her to medical school, where she became interested in breast cancer after working with a female breast surgeon. “I found I liked the breast cancer patient population,” reminisces Dr. Christy. “It was a good place for a female doctor to be.”

Dr. Christy now has a very busy schedule at Yale. She works with all three breast surgery attending physicians there, “which gives me a chance to learn different ways of approaching and treating this disease,” she says. Mondays and Tuesdays are devoted to the clinic, where she sees new and post-operative patients and gains experience with diagnostic equipment, including the ultrasound machine. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are for operating. “I appreciate the fact that they are very flexible here. If I learn of a case or procedure that I’m not scheduled for, I can usually switch my day around so I have a chance to gain experience in an area that interests me,” she notes. In between, she participates in research projects: at the moment her colleagues are conducting clinical trials to further explore the efficacy of neoadjuvant (before breast surgery) chemotherapy.

So far, Dr. Christy has seen the entire spectrum of breast cancer. She has seen early stage and late stage diagnosis, mastectomy, lumpectomy and reconstruction. She is particularly impressed with the multidisciplinary approach at Yale Cancer Center. “Every Wednesday, doctors from all the specialties (pathology, radiology, oncology and surgery) meet to discuss new patients. That means all the doctors are versed in every aspect of a patient’s care – it’s a good way to make sure we’re all working together to care for this person,” Dr. Christy comments.

Dr. Carla Christy attended the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed a five-year general surgery residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. She recently moved to New Haven and hopes to explore Connecticut and New York City in her free time.